Association between sarcopenia and quality of life in quilombola elderly in Brazil

Abstract

IntroductionCurrently, there is no single consensual definition of sarcopenia in the literature. This creates a challenge for the evaluation of its prevalence and its direct or indirect impact on the quality of life of elderly populations of different races and ethnicities. Furthermore, no studies as yet have analyzed these variables in populations of elderly subjects of the “quilombola” ethnic group.ObjectiveWe aimed to verify the association between sarcopenia and quality of life in quilombola elderly using the Baumgartner and the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of 70 male and female participants (mean age: 65.58±6.67 years). Quality of life was evaluated using the multidimensional 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) of the Medical Outcomes Study. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Baumgartner cutoff for appendicular skeletal muscle mass and the criteria recommended by the EWGSOP. Muscle mass and fat mass percentages were analyzed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, while handgrip strength (HGS) was evaluated using a hand-held dynamometer. Physical performance was assessed through a gait speed test.ResultsThe prevalence of sarcopenia was 15% according to the Baumgartner cutoff and 10% according to EWGSOP criteria. Quilombola elderly classified as physically active or very active were at least six times less likely to develop sarcopenia than those classified as irregularly active or sedentary. HGS was negatively associated with a diagnosis of sarcopenia according to both sets of criteria. Subjects with sarcopenia reported lower scores than those without the condition on the physical role functioning and bodily pain domains of the SF-36.ConclusionIn this sample of quilombola elderly, quality of life was negatively associated with sarcopenia, regardless of the classification criteria used. Additionally, the results showed that diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia should include reductions in lean mass in addition to measures of functioning and physical performance because some subjects showed the former symptom without any alteration of the latter two variables. The cutoff value suggested by Baumgartner criteria were less accurate than that specified by the EWGSOP criteria because they do not consider functioning and physical performance. However, Baumgartner criteria were more sensitive in detecting sarcopenia because reductions in lean mass predict alterations in strength and walking speed.

Implications of low muscle mass across the continuum of care: a narrative review

“…Muscle mass was measured using BIA (n=9), DXA (n=7), CT images (n=3), or magnetic resonance imaging (n=1). Higher muscle mass and not having sarcopenia was positively associated with serum albumin levels (149) better physical function (150–159), higher quality of life (157, 159), and longer survival (154, 160–162). Higher muscle mass was also negatively associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors (163), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (154), low bone mineral density (164), bone fractures (165), hospitalization (161), poor pulmonary function (166); sarcopenia was associated with poorer disease specific outcomes such as ankylosing spondylitis (164) and poor renal function (167).…”

Education, occupation and operational measures of sarcopenia: Six years of Australian data

“…For instance, cross-sectionally, lower educational attainment was associated with a greater likelihood of sarcopenia in 730 Italian community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65 years, 10 but not in 70 Quilombola persons aged ≥ 60 years from Brazil. 11 Lower household income and lower educational attainment may predispose populations to lower skilled occupations, which includes manual labour and repetitive exposures; however, lower functional capacity would increase the difficulty of performing job requirements with ease and without injury. Should socially disadvantaged individuals be at a disproportionately greater risk of sarcopenia, this would also have significant implications for primary prevention, diagnosis and management.…”

Quality of life, hospitalisation and sarcopenia among the elderly: a systematic review

“…Two studies identified sarcopenia through the skeletal muscle index 18,19 . One study used muscle cross-sectional area 17 , and another study used the SARC-F (sluggishness, assistance in walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, falls) questionnaire 13 . Another study applied the algorithm of the European Working Group for Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) 21 .…”

“…QoL is defined by the World Health Organization as an individual's acuity in life in relation to their culture and value systems and relative to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns 9 . Despite the increasing interest in studying sarcopenia, limited studies have focused on sarcopenia among the hospitalized elderly [10][11][12][13][14] . This could be because, sarcopenia has been inconsistently defined or determined as various outcome measures have been applied to different settings for the elderly population.…”

“…This could be because, sarcopenia has been inconsistently defined or determined as various outcome measures have been applied to different settings for the elderly population. In addition, QoL among the elderly with sarcopenia is inconsistently determined 12,13,15 . The results of previous studies may be inapplicable to the hospitalised elderly due to the presence of comorbidities and progressive functional decline.…”